The Violent Left and Antifa

(Source)

      Antifa (aka Anti-fascist Action or Antifaschistische Aktion) is a communist group originally formed in Germany in 1932 to fight against the Brownshirts of the National Socialist Workers Party (NAZI). The group began to revive in 1944 as Germany lost territory and, finally, the war. In post-war Germany, the Antifa groups in Soviet controlled East Germany were incorporated into the regime Stalin placed into power.

       The group revived again in the 1980s in several European countries, ostensibly due to rising nationalistic sentiment. Notable among these was a 1985 meeting in London representing a wide range of socialist and communist organisations and individuals, including Red Action and the Direct Action Movement, Searchlight, the Newham Monitoring Project, and the Jewish Socialist Group. Antifa was conceived as a group that would be more militant than prior socialist and anti-Nazi groups.

       Turning to today, we see Antifa and its activities receiving the tacit approval of the main stream media. Black Pigeon Speaks has a video discussing this:

"ANTIFA: Media Backed Terrorists"

Black Pigeon Speaks (10 min.)

        More disturbing is that there are apparently members or supporters of Antifa which believe it is too moderate. Black Pigeon mentions this article, "Armed Antifa group hosts 'Our Enemies in Blue' anti-police workshop," from Far Left Watch. According to the article, "several prominent Antifa websites have been promoting the expansion of the far left group Revolutionary Abolitionist Movement (RAM)." According to its own description of itself, RAM is an anti-American socialist Marxist/Community group that is pushing for the abolition of gender, the expropriation of property and services, and a communist revolution to destroy capitalism. The Brooklyn branch of the organization is, according to the article,  offering workshops including an “Introductory Class” a “Legal Training” workshop, an “Introduction To Anarchism” class, and even an “Our Enemies in Blue” anti-police workshop. (The article has links to RAM's website if you are interested, although the anti-police workshop material appears to have been taken down). (While I have not seen materials for the workshops. the latter probably covers material similar to the "know your enemy" instructions for dealing with riot police distributed by Gatorna prior to the G20 Summit.

         And the media is failing to provide needed information to the public concerning Antifa. For instance, Weasel Zippers notes that Antifa's chant is:

       “No Trump, no wall, no USA at all.” 

       That’s the aim. When they chant “no fascist USA,” they don’t mean eliminate the fascists.

       They mean all of you ARE the fascists because you are not as left as them.

       To them, the USA is fascist. It’s the USA and its government that must be done away with. 

       It’s why they protest the G20 and the WTO. Because all those folks are fascists too. 

       Media fails to cover who they really are and what the flags they carry mean.
There’s a reason they carry red and black flags. Red means communist. Black means anarchy. Red and black means anarcho-communist. The “A” in a circle doesn’t stand for antifa, it stands for anarchy. 

       It’s why they attack economic summits like the G20, because hey, capitalist. 

       It’s why they riot on May Day.

        The growth of Antifa is worrisome because it may indicate a shift back to the leftis and black racial violence of the 1970's.  The cited article quotes a retired FBI agent: “People have completely forgotten that in 1972 we had over nineteen hundred domestic bombings in the United States.”

       RAM indicates that it intends to "create networks for those facing detention, incarceration, deportation, or white supremacist violence to escape and live with dignity." The group also "propose[s] developing and tying defense teams to localities and collectives that are based on abolitionist practices." And finally, they state: "To carve out an autonomous territory, or to begin the revolutionary process, goods, land, and tools must be expropriated, or taken away from those who withhold them. We are striving towards a situation where necessities cannot be taken away from those who need them, but instead are shared with those who lack them." In other words, RAM is not just a pro-communist group, but a separatist or secessionist group. Frankly, it seems ominous when combined with the growing "sanctuary" movement for illegals. They are in the process of creating a guerrilla army and network of supporters that can provide for, hide, and move that army.

Don't Get A Tattoo

     This isn't an issue about possible infections or even whether or not you should be defacing your body, but from the perspective of operational security; specifically, the fact that tattoos are distinguishing marks that can be used to identify you or provide other information about you. Below is a screenshot from a Vox.com story discussing how a personal trainer was fired for having attended the Charlottesville rally after he was identified due to his distinctive tattoo. And here is a news report of a robber that was identified due to his distinctive face tattooing.

(Source)

       Of course, the risk isn't just an irate customer or boss, but the government (particularly the FBI) has been funding work into developing tattoo databases (see this 2012 article, and this 2015 article) for automated searches. As of last year, such systems had very low accuracy rates. In an article by Captain Sean T. Stewart of the Pima County Sheriff’s Department, he discusses why correctional institutions should be photographing the tattoos of their detainees, and how tattoos can be used for various purposes including identifying gang affiliations. He also describes an actual incident where he included in an alert about an escaped prisoner not only mug shots, but photographs of the fugative's tattoos. These photographs were later key to the escapee's identification and apprehension.

       There are also the broader implications of Big Data. In a 2016 post, blogger "Justin" at Your Ultimate Security wrote:

Tattoo recognition is invasive for two reasons.  You can be identified through your tattoos, in much the same way as facial recognition. This requires that your adversary has a sample for comparison, but this is not outside the realm of possibility or even probability.  Most people have photos of their tattoos on social media.  If you have been in the military recently your tattoos have probably been recorded in promotion photographs.  If you have been arrested, there is a decent chance your tattoos were photographed. Once your identification is made, you can be tracked through an airport or shopping mall or positively identified on social media – even if your face is not visible.  The other, more alarming risk of tattoo recognition is the inferences that can be drawn from your tattoos.  The NIST TATT-C program attempted to draw conclusions from an individual’s tattoos including political alignment and religious affiliation. To me this seems to be a fertile breeding ground for false positives.

His recommendation was to not get a tattoo in the first instance, but if you decide to do so, locate it where it isn't going to be plainly visible and avoid posting pictures of your tattoo on social media.

British Osprey Load Bearing Vest Package

        I received my British Osprey load bearing vest and included pouches today from Varusteleka. Varusteleka is a Finnish military surplus business that I've ordered from before. They have $9.99 flat rate shipping to the U.S., and often have lower prices than U.S. based sources. For instance, in this case, the vest package is selling for 39.99 EUR, or $36.99 in U.S. dollars. Shipping time is generally pretty good--less than 2 weeks in my experience.

          The photograph above shows the basic vest, sans pouches. As you can see, it is the British version of the MOLLE system. Below is a photograph showing the vest outfitted with all its pouches and worn over a plate carrier.

        Obviously, the plate carrier is not included, but all the pouches are included. Mine came with 13 pouches. And, since it is a MOLLE style system, it is easy to attach other pouches. Also, if you look at the front edges of the vest where it clips together, you will see a couple sets of zippers on each side. These provide access to pockets: one very large pocket on each side which is essentially the full size of the front of each half of the vest; and two smaller pockets for other items. The vest is well ventilated, using mesh fabric were possible, but all but the two hand-grenade pouches are fully lined (body and flap) with water resistant material, and the several general utility pouches also include a liner that can be tightened up to prevent dirt or dust getting in.

        Another nice feature is that unlike most European surplus items which run small, because this was made to wear over a plate carrier, it can be adjusted to almost any size you want. You can adjust the size by shortening or lengthening the straps for the front three clips, or there is elastic webbing connecting the sides to the back panel that can also be cinched up or loosened.

        I'll have to post photographs later, but on initial inspection the vest and pouches unused: they have obviously seen little to no wear and been well laundered. Unlike some surplus products that smell of preservatives or protectants, these just smell ... well ... clean.

Update (8/30/2017): I didn't have time to take photographs of everything, but here is the list of the pouches that came with the vest:

• 4 utility pouches. 
• 1 medical kit pouch
• 1 knife/flashlight pouch
• 4 grenade pouches
• 1 water bottle pouch
• 2 magazine pouches (capable of holding 2  STANAG magazines each)

And here is a photograph of the vest so you can an idea of how clean it looked:

August 29, 2017 -- A Quick Run Around the Web

"Looting Begins In Houston"

Hal Turner (3 min.)

Firearms/Self-Defense/Prepping:

• "In all-hands-on-deck response to Harvey, lessons learned from earlier storms"--Christian Science Monitor. The lesson learned is that neighbors and volunteers are more effective than civil authorities when it comes to rescuing people: in other words, don't do what they did in New Orleans during Hurricane Katrina when authorities brought in armed mercenaries, but kept out volunteers. From this article:

       The Cajun Navy – a makeshift brigade of Jon boats, Go-Devils, and airboats – descended quickly on East Texas, joining official vehicles including 10 helicopters and 19 high-water vehicles carrying out rescues from rooftops and car tops.

         “I can't look at somebody knowing that I have a perfect boat in my driveway to be doing this and to just sit at home,” Jordy Bloodsworth, a Baton Rouge member of the Cajun Navy, told The Advocate in Houston. “I have every resource within 100 feet of me to help.”

         During Katrina, some rescuers literally had to sneak into the city to help. In Houston, the Cajun Navy has been part of a massive volunteer response, encouraged by officials. Twelve thousand National Guardsman also are being deployed, the government announced Monday.

         The Cajun Navy represents both literally and figuratively the importance of neighborhood social networks – what researchers call “social capital” – that has become increasingly part of national response to disaster.

         In Houston, citizenry also had help from social media, where some residents were able to get around swamped 911 lines and go directly to the top. Harris County Sheriff Ed Gonzales answered help calls personally on Twitter, asking residents to stay strong and hold on until rescue arrived. Some of those who sent out SOS tweets say their pleas were answered.

         That openness to working around “official" channels suggests a post-Katrina shift within federal emergency management.

This really should not be such a shock to the media or government officials. Rebecca Solnit documented this type of community assistance and social capital many years ago in her book, A Paradise Built in Hell.

• "How Waffle House's hurricane response team prepares for disaster"--Yahoo Finance. Waffle House not only trains its employees on how to deal with disasters, but has quick response teams that can open and operate a restaurant while the local workers deal with the disaster. The article notes:

         A Waffle House jump team consists of a small team of restaurant operators from outside the hurricane zone. These employees swoop in at the first possible moment after a storm to restore service and get things open. Typically after a storm, demand for food is high and functioning restaurants are in low supply, and things get extremely busy.

         “There’s a jump team outside of Nashville ready to go on Sunday. Jump teams are [also] ready in Louisiana,” said Warner. “Then we can deploy from the main office some teams that may or may not go depending on severity.”

           One of the reasons why these jump teams are the key to the chain’s success is because employees may not be able to work if they’re dealing with their own hurricane damage.

          “It does help to bring operators from outside so it relieves [local employees] so they can focus on family,,” said Warner. “They don’t have to worry about their restaurant at the same time.”

          During Hurricane Katrina, Warner said Waffle House worked beyond its restaurants to provide temporary lodging for its workers, putting tarps on employees’ roofs and shipping in hard-to-find essentials like diapers and formula.

This effort by Waffle House is not to be discounted as to its value to the wider community. The article from Christian Science Monitor that I cited above began with these lines: "As College Avenue in Houston flooded Saturday night, the yellow Waffle House sign at the top of the hill stayed on. Stranded drivers trudged toward the glow through muck and rain and sat down for a sip of coffee and some eggs-and-grits, glad to be shielded, at least for a moment, from a storm named Harvey."

• As the video above demonstrates, there has been some looting. (See also here and here). And members of the Cajun Navy have had problems with people attempting to swarm the boats, shooting at them, or even trying to steal their boats. (See also here).
• "'Mouse Gun' Gelatin Testing Results"--Captain's Journal. About a week ago, Active Response Training published an article describing the results of some gelatin testing of short barreled .38 Special, .380 ACP, and 9 mm handguns.  The test rounds were shot through 5 layers of denim into a block of clear ballistic gelatin (which is not as dense of ordinance gelatin). Although the brands were not listed for all loadings, Greg Ellifritz noted that the only rounds that exhibited any expansion were from the 9 mm (shot out of a Glock 43). All the rounds had good penetration, though. The two 9 mm loads were 124 grain Hornady Tap FD and 124 grain Federal HST, the latter of which did the better of the two offerings. Of course, several of the other rounds shouldn't have had any expansion as there were some FMJ and lead wadcutters used. In fact, the wadcutters are useful for when you don't expect expansion as they have a large meplat, and accordingly, cut a nice hole.

         In any event, Herschel Smith, in his post, questions the validity of the tests, and points readers to Lucky Gunner's ballistic tests which covers a wide variety of ammunition and various barrel lengths. In the latter tests, the best loads for .38 Special (at least for expansion) out of a 2-inch barrel were Remington 125 gr Golden Saber +P, Winchester 130 gr PDX1 Defender +P, Winchester 130 gr Ranger Bonded +P, and Winchester 130 gr Train & Defend. However, Speer Gold Dot +P, and any of the Hornady Critical Defense loads also worked well. As for .380, the  Hornady 90 gr FTX Critical Defense, Magtech 85 gr Guardian Gold, Winchester 95 gr PDX1 and Winchester 95 gr Train & Defend seemed to be the best, and Gold Dot and a few others also had decent expansion. 

•  "'The' Trigger: The Wisconsin Trigger Co. MKII A3 Review"--New Rifleman. To sum up his review: much better than the Geissele SSA while running $30 less; comparable to the Geissele High Speed Natl. Match trigger, but $80 less. He thinks it is the best AR trigger on the market.
• " 6.5 Grendel and 6.5 Creedmoor Cartridges"--Shooting Illustrated. This article is from last year, but gives a good overview of these two long(er) distance cartridges.
• "Homemade MAC-11 submachine guns seized in Alberta, Canada"--The Firearms Blog. These look to be better made than the originals.
• I don't know why people always forget spices when they put together these lists: "10 Items to Hoard for Bartering When All Hell Breaks Loose"--Real World Survivor. alcohol, tobacco, coffee or tea, knives, ammunition, toiletries, medicine and first aid supplies, fuel and batteries, seeds, and valuable skills. 

Other Stuff:

• As you probably know, North Korea shot a ballistic missile over Japan yesterday. In a statement from the White House, President Trump indicated that "The world has received North Korea's latest message loud and clear: this regime has signaled its contempt for its neighbors, for all members of the United Nations, and for minimum standards of acceptable international behavior," and that "All options are on the table." 
• India and China step back from the brink: "India ends months-long military stand-off with China at a disputed area in the Himalayas"--Daily Mail.
• Idiocracy: Did you know that the BBC has a special news section where the articles are all in pidgin English? Neither did I. For instance, today's top headline reads: "How Hurricane dey get name." And from the article: "Harvey and Mattew na human being name, so how hurricane dey take get dia name sef? In short, why dem dey give hurricane name at all?" (H/t Anonymous Conservative). 
• "Ripcord to the Rescue: Travel Risk Security Company Extracts Client Under Fire in African Jungle"--Real World Survivor.  This is the type of insurance you want when you travel to a Third World hell-hole. 
• Speaking of which: "From a celebrity paradise to a bloody war zone where cartels don't have to hide: Harrowing pictures reveal the reality of the once-glamorous resort of Acapulco - which is now Mexico's murder capital"--Daily Mail. The article notes that "for each of the past five years, Acapulco has been the murder capital of Mexico. It is the fourth-deadliest city in the world."
• "How 'Being Nice' Creates Serious Problems For Men"--The Return of Kings. The article doesn't just stop there. The author concludes that "Pretty much everything that ails Western countries is the result of someone’s stupid attempt to be nice to one group or another."
• The fascist Anti-Fa and their ilk are at it again:

• "Black-clad anarchists storm Berkeley rally, assaulting 5"--WIST-TV.

• "10-day march from Charlottesville to DC to start Monday"--The Hill. The article reports that:

        Activists are set to start a 10-day march from Charlottesville, Va., to Washington, D.C., on Monday to confront white supremacy and demand President Trump's removal from office.

        "The March to Confront White Supremacy," is set to start in Charlottesville Monday, Aug. 28 and end in Washington, D.C., on Wednesday, Sept. 6. Organizers say the march will be followed by an occupation of Washington with daily nonviolent demonstrations.

• "Inside the Left’s Plans to Occupy Trump"--Politico. This article is about plans for wider demonstrations and occupations: 

The planning is still in its early stages, but the organizers have an idea in mind. On Saturday, November 4—approximately a year after President Donald Trump’s election—members of the Resistance will descend on America’s major cities. They’ll march and demonstrate, as they have in the past, but this time, say organizers, they won’t go home at the end of the day. Instead, the plan is to occupy city centers and parks and not leave until, and only until, Trump and Vice President Mike Pence have fallen.

• Time for new Church hearings:

• "CIA Targeted Other Agencies With Spyware"--Anonymous Conservative. By other agencies, it means agencies such as the FBI, NSA, and Department of Homeland Security.

• "CIA Keeping A Watchful Eye On ... Its Director"--Powerline. CIA Director Mike Pompeo has taken a special interest in the investigation on whether Russia influenced the election, but the Deep State in the CIA doesn't like it.

• "Ruby Ridge lessons for fighting right-wing extremism"--USA Today. A look at past federal investigations that have moved from detecting and apprehending dangerous extremists to creating dangerous extremists, with a special focus on the events surrounding the Ruby Ridge incident. From the article:

       The best known case of federal right-wing ideological targeting climaxed 25 years ago at Ruby Ridge. Randy Weaver and his family lived in an isolated cabin in the mountains or northern Idaho. Weaver was a white separatist who believed races should live apart; he had no record of violence against other races — or anyone else. Undercover federal agents targeted him and entrapped him into selling a sawed-off shotgun. The feds sought to pressure Weaver, who often indulged in antigovernment bluster, to become an informant against the Aryan Nation but he refused.

       After Weaver was sent the wrong court date and (understandably) failed to show up, the feds used any and all means to take him down. Idaho lawyer David Nevin noted that U.S. “marshals called in military aerial reconnaissance and had photos studied by the Defense Mapping Agency. They prowled the woods around Weaver’s cabin with night-vision equipment. They had psychological profiles performed and installed $130,000 worth of long-range solar-powered spy cameras. They intercepted the Weavers’ mail. They even knew the menstrual cycle of Weaver’s teenage daughter, and planned an arrest scenario around it.”

         On August 21, 1992, six U.S. Marshals outfitted in full camouflage and carrying automatic weapons trespassed onto Weavers’ property. Three marshals circled close to the Weaver cabin and threw rocks to provoke the Weavers’ dogs. As Weaver's 14-year old son, Sammy and Kevin Harris, a 25-year old family friend living in the cabin, ran towards the barking, a marshal shot and killed a dog. Sammy Weaver fired in the direction of where those shots came from. As Sammy was leaving the scene, a marshal shot him in the back and killed him. Harris responded by fatally shooting a federal marshal who had fired seven shots.

        The FBI decided that Weaver was such a bad person that the Constitution no longer applied. Snipers from the FBI Hostage Rescue Team were sent in the next day and ordered to shoot-to-kill any adult male outside the Weaver cabin. A federal appeals court ruling noted that “a group of FBI agents formulated rules of engagement that permitted their colleagues to hide in the bushes and gun down men who posed no immediate threat. Such wartime rules are patently unconstitutional for a police action.”

         On August 22, 1992, FBI sniper Lon Horiuchi shot Randy Weaver under the arm after he stepped out of his cabin. As he struggled to return to his home, Horiuchi shot and killed Vicki Weaver as she stood in the cabin door holding their 10-month old baby. A confidential 1994 Justice Department task force report was appalled that people were gunned down before receiving any warning: "The absence of a (surrender demand) subjected the Government to charges that it was setting Weaver up for attack.”

        Weaver and Harris, who never fired any shots at FBI agents, surrendered after an 11-day siege. At their 1993 trial, federal prosecutors asserted that Weaver long conspired to have an armed confrontation with the government. Bizarrely, the feds claimed that his moving from Iowa to near the Canadian border in 1983 was part of that plot.

         An Idaho jury found Weaver innocent of almost all charges and ruled that the shooting of the U.S. marshal was self-defense. Federal Judge Edward Lodge released a lengthy list detailing the Justice Department’s and FBI’s misconduct and fabrication of evidence in the case. After an elaborate coverup unraveled (a top FBI official was sent to prison for destroying key evidence), the feds in 1995 paid the Weaver family $3.1 million to settle their wrongful death lawsuit. This was not simply a right-wing cause: the American Civil Liberties Union was in the forefront of condemning federal misconduct at Ruby Ridge.

Tribalism and Identity Politics

Actual headline from the Huffington Post, although it was latter changed to "White Flight." "Goy" is short for "Goyim," a derogatory term meaning "cattle" in Hebrew. According to Information Liberation, the headline was chosen by HuffPost editor Chloe Angyal, who is Jewish.

       The statue banning, Anti-Fa and BLM protests and riots, and so on, are not signs of a Left that feels weak, but is exalting in its power and success. Sure, they are bitterly disappointed that the White House has been denied to them, but they still get to establish what will be cultural norms and control the apparatus of government. However, what they fear is whites--more specifically, those descended of European stock--engaging in identity politics. Thus the reason for Progressives on either side of the aisle calling out Conservatives as being "racists" or "Nazis."

       While we are generally aware of black identity politics, LGBT identity politics, and similar because of those groups constant posturing as victims, other group's identity politics often slides under the radar. Nevertheless, it is important to realize that some groups have done very well through tribalism and identity politics. Thus, I offer up this article by Peter Beinart at Forward Magazine, entitled "The One Thing Jews Should Be Doing To Combat White Supremacy." Apparently  Beinart was shaken up over an  anti-Semitic chant at the Charlottsville rally (although I had never heard mention of it before Beinart's article). The chant was "Jews will not replace us," and Beinart's response was:

       “Replace you? Where, behind the counter at Wendy’s? We’re successful, industrious, upper-middle class. You’re the dregs of society. Replace you? Don’t kid yourselves. When it comes to America’s class hierarchy, we replaced you and your kind long ago.” 

Beinart observes that "[t]oday’s anti-Semitism isn’t like the anti-Semitism of 100 or even 50 years ago. Overwhelmingly, it comes not from society’s winners but from its losers." He concludes:

       ... Of course, as Jews have for centuries, we must band together for self-protection. But as a successful, well-established, political influential community, we can also confront the dysfunction and despair that leads some of our fellow Americans to scapegoat us. 

Beinart tries to cloak this article in the mantle of a strategy of charity toward the Deplorables, but it neverless reveals the strong tribal and ethnic identity that has done so much to assist certain groups. And it shows that, under the current rules, those who refuse to play the game of identity politics are doomed to lose political and economic power.

August 27, 2017 -- A Quick Run Around the Web

"AR15 Trigger: Two Stage vs Single Stage, Geissele and AR-15 Milspec"--Modern Pawn (5-1/2 min.). This video shows the mechanical differences between a one-stage and two-stage trigger, using a AR-15 mil-spec trigger and a Geissele trigger, respectively, as examples.

Hurricane Harvey:

• "Harvey Downgraded To Category 1 Hurricane, Flood Threat Continues"--CBS Dallas-Ft. Worth. From the article: "The fiercest hurricane to hit the U.S. in more than a decade made landfall Friday night about 30 miles northeast of Corpus Christi as a Category 4 storm with 130 mph winds. It gradually weakened over the next several hours and the National Hurricane Center said that by 5 a.m. Saturday Harvey was downgraded to a Category 1 — still sustaining winds of 90 mph. By dawn, nearly 300,000 consumers were without power in the Texas coastal region. Nearly 20 inches of rain had fallen in some places."
• Storm Summary from the NOAA listing wind and rain readings. As of the time of this posting, several cities were reporting more than 20 inches of rain, including Santa Fe at nearly 27.5 inches. 
• The Weather Channel reports: "Rainfall from Harvey Could Reach 50 Inches in Some Spots, Highest Ever Recorded in Texas; Catastrophic Flooding to Continue for Days." The article states:

       Tropical Storm Harvey has stalled over Texas where extreme rainfall has occurred in the Houston metro area, leading to record-breaking, catastrophic flooding. Days of drenching downpours are ahead, along with the potential for tornadoes and lingering coastal flooding.

       Localized rain amounts of up to 50 inches are not out of the question once Harvey's rain is finished later this week. This may end up being one of the worst flood disasters in U.S. history.

• "Rescuers pluck hundreds from rising floodwaters in Houston as others use inflatable beach toys, rubber rafts and air mattresses after Storm Harvey"--Daily Mail. 

Firearms/Self-Defense/Prepping:

• "Sterilized East German MPi-KM from the Balkans"--The Firearms Blog. The wars in the Balkans resulted in illicit arms trading, including firearms that had their serial numbers removed to prevent the tracing of the weapon. According to the article, Apex has some parts kits from these type of firearms. If you have an AK rifle built from a parts kit, you know that most of the major parts--including the bolt, the trunion, the rear sight block, and even the dust cover, will have all or part of the serial number (hence the quest to get a kit with matching numbers). Of course, these numbers are irrelevant to building a kit because the serial number the ATF is concerned with will be on the receiver, and will be whatever the manufacturer assigns it (except for the occasional offer of a receiver with a custom serial number). Nevertheless, it would be an interesting curio and an interesting bit of history.
• "Why 5.56 / .223 is BOTH the Best and Worst AR-15 Cartridge"--Abe's Gun Cave. A few days ago, I linked to an article from this author on why the .308 was such a terrible military cartridge. In this article, he discusses the .223 / 5.56 mm and how its terminal performance (at least with FMJ) depends on its fragmenting after it strikes a target, which, in turn, is determined by whether the projectile yaws when it strikes a target. The problem, he notes, is that the 5.56 is not consistent as to whether it will yaw. (I would note that the great success achieved when the rifle was first tested in Vietnam was because the twist rate was so slow, the bullets were yawing as they flew through the air--great for terminal performance, but terrible for accuracy). The military has ameliorated this problem to a certain extent by using heavier bullets. However, the author notes that if you want consistent performance, you will need to use ammunition designed for hunting which is both more dependable at fragmenting, and will fragment at lower velocities.
• "Basic Self-Defense Moves Anyone Can Do (and Everyone Should Know)"--Life Hacker. This is better than the typical "how to defend yourself" articles in that it discusses avoiding trouble, in includes not just kicks and blows, but also how to get out of a couple holds, and video on escaping a mount. And then there was this:

In my interview with Rener Gracie, whose grandfather established the Gracie Jiu-Jitsu method 90 years ago, he told me there are four phases to nearly all sexual attacks on women: 1) Identify an unsuspecting target, 2) Subdue the target, 3) Exhaust the target, and 4) Execute the sexual assault. We want to fight with all our might and the moves we have above in the second phase. In the third phase, however, right before an assailant executes his sexual attack, all he wants to do is exhaust the victim and gain complete control, so fighting back actually may backfire at that point, wasting energy. Gracie’s Women Empowered training program teaches women to recognize when they’ve entered that phase where they are truly trapped and are no longer in the defensive movements phase—and to feign giving in. Pretend to be compliant (kind of like playing dead for a bear). In those split moments, the predator will think you have given up and will loosen his grip, giving you a chance get away.

• This sounds about right: "What Would A U.S. Civil War Look Like?"--Oilprice.com. The author fancies that: "it will not look like the orderly pattern of descent which characterized the conflict of 1861-65. It will appear more like the Yugoslavia break-up, or the Russian and Chinese civil wars of the 20th Century."

Other Stuff:

• Idiocracy: "Patients treated for putting sunscreen in eyes during solar eclipse, report says"--WCMH-TV Columbus. 
• More illegal aliens: "US border agents find smuggling tunnel spanning US-Mexico border and arrest 23 Chinese nationals and seven Mexicans"--Daily Mail. 
• "Police have disappeared". This is the report from a protest in Berkeley, California, where, once again, police have abandoned right wing activists to be beaten by Anti-Fa and its minions. Unless you are willing adopt Gandhi's strategy of non-violence, allow yourself to be beat up so it can all be filmed and disseminated, these rallies are probably useless and simply play into the hands of the left. And don't think that when the police have left, they are actually all gone. There will be police and informers in or around the crowd to take photographs and gather intelligence, in addition to the media and Anti-Fa supporters with their cameras.
• Welcome Migrants! "Polish tourist is gang-raped on an Italian beach while her helpless boyfriend is forced to watch and savagely beaten and robbed"--Daily Mail. The couple was attacked by a group of 4 men. The story is strangely silent as to a description of the men, as were the reports from The Independent, the Metro, the Sun, and Associated Press. The UK's Express described the attackers as having dark skin, and it only when getting to Breitbart that we learn that the attackers are suspected to be African. The self-censorship is disgusting, particularly when involving such a heinous crime. There is no way the public can make an informed choice concerning immigration unless it has the truth, which is the whole point of the media not reporting all the facts.
• Good riddance: "Trump is likely to rescind Obama's 'Dreamer' program as early as NEXT WEEK - putting 600,000 children at risk of being deported"--Daily Mail. That would include "children" such as members of the MS 13 gang whose motto is "Kill, rape, control,” and which have been tied to numerous murders on Long Island, Huston, Virginia, Maryland, ... and that was just from the first page of Google results. Worse, the Feds seem to be placing a lot of the "unaccompanied minors" in areas rife with MS 13 gangs.
• Heh. "Young Chinese are 'too fat and masturbate too much to pass army fitness tests'"--Evening Standard. From the article:

        In one city, 56.9 per cent of potential recruits were rejected after failing fitness tests. One in five was simply deemed too fat.

        The report claimed 8 per cent of male candidates suffered from enlarged testicular veins. “This is related to sitting too long on computer games, excessive masturbation and too little physical activity,” it said.

        Some 46 per cent were rejected for failing the vision test, with the excessive use of electronic gadgets such as smartphones and tablets blamed.

• Hmm. "WaPo Editorial: Satan Is Good; Christians Are Responsible for Charlottesville"--The Daily Wire. According to the Washington Post editorial: "The Satan of Modern Satanism is a metaphorical icon for Enlightenment values. Satanism adopts a mythological backdrop that we feel is more befitting to modern culture than the monarchical, feudalistic, theocratic superstitions of old. The Satanic Temple, far from endorsing crass nationalistic tribalism, actively fights for individual sovereignty and secular values."
• "Does the Left Know Something's Coming Involving Guns?"--The American Thinker. Notwithstanding the conspicuous lack of gun violence at the various protests, rallies, etc., there are a lot of politicians calling for increased gun control. The author of this piece wonders:

        ... So what if the discordant calls for gun control are because those politicians, anarchists, and activists (though I repeat myself) have foreknowledge of some kind of planned escalation of their brand of "protest" and are setting the stage for disingenuous "I told you sos'? What if they have something of a timeline along which they either believe that things will happen or will make things happen, to escalate the blitzkrieg of media and hysteria by which they effect "change" – meaning a coup?

         What if they and the media are in bed together on this, too, and have prepared their stories and narratives ahead of time?  In Charlottesville, Trump was caught flat-footed but still gave an accurate response regarding hate on many sides, but Terry McAuliffe had a complete speech ready to go ...

        Indeed, Charlottesville itself has more than a whiff of this.  Because the KKK types obeyed the law and obtained a permit, the officials in Charlottesville and Richmond, Democrats all, knew precisely where the protesters would gather and when.  Magically, an army of radical Marxist activists materialized, sans permit, many from out of state, as has been confirmed, to confront those who were obeying the law, even if they were saying or believed objectionable things.  When the two factions had been allowed within striking distance of each other by local authorities, who ensured they were not more safely separated, a state of emergency was declared.  The park had to be vacated, the KKK side and the Antifa side were somehow pushed together by police despite other means of egress from the park, a mêlée ensued, and the police who herded them together suddenly were far away, watching what they had facilitated.  The media were right there.

        The left, it seems, has orchestrated these fights.  Their surrogates are not there to protest; they are there to provoke.  They come armed, masked, and emboldened by the political support of the left.  It's the Marxist left's goon squad, there to ensure that one side speaks, one side controls, and the other side stays quiet or is punished.  Liberal mayors and governors seem disinterested in preventing the violence, even ahead of time.  Police officers report, as in Baltimore and Charlottesville, that they were told to "stand down," though they knew that harm could have been prevented if they'd been allowed to do their jobs. 

        The obvious next step in the string of events being put into effect by the left is a confrontation involving guns.  They seem to want, indeed, to have foreknowledge, that someone at one of these events will use a gun, perhaps one of their own pretending to be an opponent, or maybe a bystander will be threatened and will protect himself and those with him.  Regardless, the purge of the Second Amendment will take off as never before.  Imagine the hysterical, unhinged screaming that an Alt-Right lunatic finally proved all the leftists right and took a shot.  What happened won't matter.  Truth will be rejected.  The narrative will be everything. 

Lest this seem to be mere fancy, consider the following statements from the group Refuse Fascism (as reported by Peter Grant):

ON NOVEMBER 4, 2017:

We will gather in the streets and public squares of cities and towns across this country, at first many thousands declaring that this whole regime is illegitimate and that we will not stop until our single demand is met: This Nightmare Must End: the Trump/Pence Regime Must Go!

August 25, 2017 -- A Quick Run Around the Web

"The Postmans Bridge (Two Rope Bridge)"

Corporals Corner (12 min.)

• TGIF: The Weekend Knowledge Dump from Active Response Training for this week.
• Glock Gen 5 Reviews: As you may know, today was when the blackout on reviews and such was lifted for the new Glock pistols. Currently, only Model 17 and 19 versions are out, and one of the reviews indicated that the Gen 5 will only be offered in 9 mm. The big differences between it and prior generations are that it no longer has finger grooves, it has a belled magazine well, it has an ambidextrous slide release, and it has a barrel using traditional rifling. There are other minor mechanical differences which are discussed in the reviews. Interestingly, in addition to the past offerings of the standard Glock sights or 3-dot Tritium sights, there will also be offered from the factory the Ameriglo GLOCK Spartan Operator sights which sport a large bright orange front sight and plain black sights, but also include tritium inserts front and rear to give a 3-dot in low light. These are the sights that I added to my Glock 34, and they are excellent sights. I researched long and hard before deciding on the Spartan sights, so I feel some additional vindication by Glock offering it as a factory option. In any event, here are the articles:

• "Here’s the Full Reveal of the New Glock Gen5 Pistol"--Recoil Magazine. This is probably the most detailed of the reviews, going into much more detail on the mechanical differences and improvements, as well as other minor improvements to the finish and shaping of the slide. There are enough minor differences that, other than magazines and the magazine catch, there is not much else that is interchangeable between Gen 5 and other generations.

• "GLOCK Gen 5 Safe Action Pistols , First Look at New GLOCK 17 & 19"--Ammo Land. This is also a fairly detailed review of the new handgun.

• "OFFICIAL: The New GLOCK Gen5 Has Arrived"--The Firearms Blog. This is a much shorter overview of the Gen 5.

• "The 5th Generation GLOCK Glock 17 and Glock 19 Gen5 Pistols: Improving Perfection! (4K UHD)"--The Firearms Blog. This links to a video review for the TFB TV YouTube channel. I'll be watching it later this evening.

• "Knife attacks on soldiers, police in Brussels and London"--Deutsche Welle. A man armed with a machete has been shot dead after attacking soldiers in the Belgian capital while yelling "Allah Akbar". Later, in London, two police officers outside Buckingham Palace were attacked by a man armed with a knife. See also this article at The Daily Mail. 
• "Worst case scenario looms for Texas with Hurricane Harvey"--Mashable. From the article:

        Because the storm is likely to get trapped over South Texas for days, caught between two high pressure systems — one to the east, and the other to the west — it's also likely that inland flooding will be compounded by the strong onshore winds, which will discourage the floodwaters from draining into the sea. 

         Some computer models even loop the storm back out over the Gulf of Mexico, only to make a second landfall in northeastern Texas or western Louisiana early next week.

• "Twin Falls Fatal Shooting Was Self-Defense, Police & Prosecutors Agree"--Ammo Land. Twin Falls is a town in southern Idaho. What is interesting about this case is that the shooter was a convicted felon. So, although the shooting was determined to be justified, he is still being charged with illegal possession of a firearm.
• "Hornady Introduces 4DOF Ballistic Calculator"--Rifleshooter Magazine. This is an online, web-based calculator which you can access here.
• "Review: Nikon Monarch"--Rifleshooter Magazine. If you follow and agree with The New Rifleman (to which I cite from time to time), you will like the reticle in the Monarch 3 scopes. They are BDC scopes using thick bars on the outside, and fine lines at the center, similar to the German #4 which The New Rifleman prefers. This means that if your battery dies, you can still use the sights in low light. The only illumination is a dot in the center of the reticle. The reticle also includes windage adjustments for the given ranges (based on a 10 mph cross wind). Also, don't forget to check out Nikon's Spot-On app page for their program/app designed to help you get the most out of your scope.
• "Hold that Forend!"--Terminal Ballistics Research. A great article on steadying a rifle in the field and handling recoil for long-distance shooting. It's a long read, so plan accordingly.

Quote of the Day -- August 25, 2017

"And even world peace, in every case where it has existed, has been nothing but the slavery of an entire humanity under the regimen imposed by a few strong natures determined to rule." -- Oswald Spengler.

August 24, 2017 -- A Quick Run Around the Web

"EOTech review: The redemption of EOTech"--Garand Thumb (~ 13 min.)

A review of EOTech's "new" sight which is supposed to have corrected the problems with the earlier sight. The author discusses the prior problems and reviews the EOTech on certain criteria, comparing to other similarly priced sights, such as clarity, battery life, etc.

Firearms/Self-Defense/Prepping:

• WARNING: "Texas facing catastrophic flooding as Harvey intensifies into a major hurricane that will bring life-threatening storm surge and up to 30 INCHES of rain when it makes landfall as a Category 3 storm"--Daily Mail. Based on the storm track, it looks like it will pass right over Corpus Christi. 
• "QuikClot Sponges Discontinued"--SkinnyMedic. This short (~ 3 min.) video explains that QuikClot is discontinuing their sponges. If you don't already have the sponges, or have to replace them, the author is recommending either the Z-Medica EMS rolled gauze or the Celox powder. 
• "The FDA cleared this syringe for quickly plugging gunshot wounds in the arms and legs"--Fast Company (H/t The Truth About Guns). From the article:

       The XStat 30, a sponge-filled syringe that can plug deep and narrow wounds from gunshots or stabbings in seconds, has received approval from the U.S. for use in the arm and leg.

       The FDA also gave RevMedx, the Oregon-based company that makes the device, approval to market a smaller version, the XStat 12, which is designed to treat smaller wounds from a stabbing or smaller caliber firearm. Andrew Barofsky, the CEO of manufacturer RevMedx, said the FDA’s decision would advance the company’s mission “to reduce death and disability from traumatic bleeding injuries caused by war, violence, or accidents.”

Unfortunately, the article indicates that the $100 devices will only be available via prescription.

• "OIS and Tourniquet Use by LVMPD – What Can We Learn?"--Breach Bang Clear. The author offers up a video showing two police officers shoot a suspect, and then provide first aid (including a tourniquet) for your learning and critiquing. 
• "San Antonio Pulls the Plug on ShotSpotter Gunfire Detection System, Hartford, CT Next?"--The Truth About Guns. Over a 15 month period, the system only led to 4 arrests for the minor crime of discharging a firearm at a total cost of $546,000 (or $136,500 per arrest). Two cities in Connecticut are reporting accuracy rates (i.e., distinguishing a gun shot from other noises) of between 8 and 10%.
• "Why the .308 Sucks – And the Military Knew It"--Abe's Gun Cave. The U.S. Army conducted studies and reviews in the 1920's and '30's indicating that the ideal bullet for a combat round would be between 6.5 and 7 mm; and research after WWII (both U.S. and British) confirmed that bullets of smaller diameter than .30 caliber were better at wounding. Despite this research, and experience with the .30-06 in multiple wars and conflicts (including WWI, WWII, and the Korean War), the U.S. forced NATO to adopt the .308--then promptly ditched it (at least for combat rifles) for the .223. I've also touched upon the inadequacies of the .308/7.62 NATO at typical combat distances in prior posts (see "Some Thoughts on a 'Battery' of Survival Arms--Part II--.22 versus .30 Caliber.") as have others (see "Assault Rifles and Their Ammunition").
• A couple interesting new products:

• "TFB Review: Armageddon Tactical AK47 Hinged Side Rail Mount"--The Firearms Blog. This is a scope mount designed for the AK series of rifles, that attaches to the scope rail on the left of the rifle. What makes this design unique is that it is hinged so that it can be unlatched to one side to provide access to the iron sights or to remove the rear dust cover, but locked back into place without losing the zero.

• "Gear Review: Huntego CleanShot Shoot-Thru Bore Cleaner Shells"--The Truth About Guns. This is a shotgun shell loaded with layers of scrubbers and patches designed to clean your shotgun barrel with one shot at the end of a range session. The author tested it and found that it worked as advertised. They should soon be offered for sale at Walmart for $2.50 apiece. For the savings in time and how well it work on the reviewers shotgun, it might well be worth the price.

• "Why an RV for Prepping?"--Blue Collar Prepping. The author sets out several reasons, but it basically comes down to (1) mobility and (2) comfort. An RV allows you to evacuate or move away from a problem (or to a better situation) while still having many of the conveniences of a home.
• "Car plows through trans lives matter protest: White male driver is arrested after injuring three 'when protesters began attacking his car' at vigil for trans woman who was killed by cops in St Louis"--Daily Mail. As is not uncommon for Daily Mail headlines, the actual story is a bit different. According to the article:

       Police spokeswoman Schron Jackson told the Riverfront Times: 'Tonight, a group of protesters marched from the Transgender Memorial to the intersection of Manchester and Sarah were they blocked traffic in all directions. 

        'A vehicle approached, stopped, honked its horn and attempted to drive around the protesters.

        'The protesters surrounded the vehicle and began striking it with their hands and a flag pole. Several protesters also kicked and jumped on top of the vehicle.'

       She said the driver of the vehicle - a white male - then drove away when two women and a man 'fell from the vehicle'.

        The three who were hit suffered minor injuries, but refused medical attention. 

         'Police attempted to stop driver of vehicle who initially refused to stop,' Jackson said. 'He stopped about a block away from the incident and was taken into custody for felony fleeing. The incident was captured on video.' 

So there you have it--you are damned if you do, and damned if you don't when it comes to trying to get through a crowd of protesters. Even if the charges are eventually dropped, this guy was arrested for a felony (which will remain in the system) and will incur legal expenses. Lesson is to stay away from protesters and if, by chance, your path crosses them, take a different path.

Other Stuff:

• "On Blood Moons and Babylonian Whores"--First Things. The author's main point seems not to get caught up in trying to use Revelation to predict disasters, but to remember that the book was intended to lift the spirits of the early Church. The author writes:

       Is John imparting a sense of urgency? No doubt. Jesus told his followers not to be caught sleeping when he returns, though he also told them not to worry themselves with interpreting signs (Mark 13). The urgency of Jesus and of John is not an exhortation to begin decoding the rest of the vision. It is an exhortation to be faithful between the Incarnation and the Second Coming. Jesus and John want believers to lift their eyes to the heavens and place their hope in the returning Savior. For what is about to take place is twofold: Jesus will enact eschatological war on Satan, sin, and death (Revelation 19–20); and the New Jerusalem will come down from heaven, the tree of life reappear, and death disappear (Revelation 21–22).

        The prophecies of Revelation, then, are a counsel of hope and encouragement. ...

On a related note, I came across this article--"Did the Moon Appear as Blood on the Night of the Crucifixion?"--which reminds us that the miraculous signs in scripture will, indeed, be miraculous or unmistakable, not mundane. For instance: "To stand out as a sign (Genesis 1:14), the moon turning to blood must be remarkable. However, a lunar eclipse by itself, though interesting, is hardly remarkable."

• "Hundreds confess to eating human flesh"--News 24. The lead: "A community meeting following the arrest of four Estcourt men for allegedly killing a person and eating human flesh saw hundreds of residents allegedly confess to having eaten human body parts procured from one of the accused." Peter Grant gives some background on the superstitions and fetishes that lie behind this type of incident. But one of the important points to take away from Grant's explanation is that these beliefs and superstitions are not limited to the poor and uneducated, but are also held by the most educated and successful. I think this is a good reminder to Americans and Europeans that when we talk of "foreign" cultures, these cultures aren't just quaint overlays on a base "deep down everyone is the same" set of behavior, but their practices, beliefs and very way of viewing or thinking about the world is alien to ours. 
• Coming It has come to a town near you: A police officer arrested in Texas was provided with money by drug cartels to fund a couple political campaigns to be elected as a sheriff. 
• The UK's--shall we say, "unique"--solution to a shortage of general practitioners: "Revealed: Health chiefs plan to make it easier for failing trainees and foreign medics to become GPs"--The Telegraph. According to the article, "officials are drawing up plans which could allow trainee medics to become a GP even if they have to take their exams six times, and are considering relaxing checks on doctors who trained abroad." I would note that the U.S. is also facing a shortfall of general practitioners (especially in rural regions), so this isn't something unique to socialized medicine (although the reasons for the shortfalls may differ). I don't think it is necessarily an issue of too few doctors but too many specialists. The specialties pay so much better that there is little incentive to become a GP, but, on the other hand, to make the money as a specialist you need to be in a sufficiently large urban area. (Also, after spending 8+ years in academia, many doctors are too cosmopolitan to want to live in a small or medium sized town). And while you can, in theory, obtain better treatment from a specialist, the reality is that they, too, are subject to the "give a man a hammer and every problem looks like a nail" type thinking. The solution will likely be two-pronged: pushing the duties of GPs down to Nurse Practitioners and Physicians Assistants (including being able to prescribe medications) while developing AI based diagnostic systems.
• "Most of the Recent Warming Could be Natural"--Jennifer Marohasy. The results of the author's research:

       In our just published paper in GeoResJ, we make the assumption that an artificial neural network (ANN) trained on proxy temperature data up until 1830, would be able to forecast the combined effect of natural climate cycles through the twentieth century.  

         We deconstructed six proxy series from different regions, with the Northern Hemisphere composite discussed here. This temperature series begins in 50 AD, ends in the year 2000, and is derived from studies of pollen, lake sediments, stalagmites and boreholes.  Typical of most such proxy temperature series, when charted this series zigzags up and down within a band of perhaps 0.4°C on a short time scale of perhaps 60-years. Over the longer nearly 2,000-year period of the record, it shows a rising trend which peaks in 1200AD before trending down to 1650AD, and then rising to about 1980 – then dipping to the year 2000: as shown in Figure 12 of our new paper in GeoResJ.

          The decline at the end of the record is typical of many such proxy-temperature reconstructions and is known within the technical literature as “the divergence problem”.  To be clear, while the thermometer and satellite-based temperature records generally show a temperature increase through the twentieth century, the proxy record, which is used to describe temperature change over the last 2,000 years – a period that predates thermometers and satellites – generally dips from 1980, at least for Northern Hemisphere locations, as shown in Figure 12.  This is particularly the case with tree ring records. Rather than address this issue, key climate scientists, have been known to graft instrumental temperature series onto the proxy record from 1980 to literally ‘hide the decline’[8].

          Using the proxy record from the Northern Hemisphere composite, decomposing this through signal analysis and then using the resulting component sine waves as input into an ANN, we generated a forecast for the period from 1830 to 2000.  

         Figure 13 from our new paper in GeoResJ shows the extent of the match between the proxy-temperature record (blue line) and our ANN forecast (orange dashed line) from 1880 to 2000.  Both the proxy record and also our ANN forecast (trained on data the predates the Industrial Revolution) show a general increase in temperatures to 1980, and then a decline.  

Read the whole thing.

August 23, 2017 -- A Quick Run Around the Web

"Overnight Pack Out"--Wilderness Outfitters (13 min.)

David Canterbury shows what he carries for a basic pack for camping overnight or for hunting. 

Firearms/Self-Defense/Prepping:

• "Night Sights, Lights and Lasers for Concealed-Carry Guns"--Shooting Illustrated. The author suggests night sights for a carry gun; a laser can be a plus if it is small and can be activated by grasping the grips--otherwise, you just won't have time to use it if you suddenly need to deploy your weapon. Weapon mounted lights are a different matter: the author cites to statistics kept by Tom Givens of his students, and of 60 some odd self-defense shootings, not a single one ever needed a flashlight. She isn't saying to not carry a flashlight, but that it won't be needed for threat identification. After all, your threat will identify itself; but if it is too dark for your to identify your threat, it is too dark for your threat to see you.

       She also makes a point of noting that, while there is a certain overlap between a person using a weapon for self-defense, a police officer, and a soldier, there are differences:

For instance, if you’re in a class with your wife or husband or business partner and the two of you are being taught how to move through a structure together while armed, that makes a lot of sense. On the other hand, if you, as a private citizen, are in a class where you’re stacked outside a doorway with a bunch of strangers preparing to practice clearing a room, you are auditing a class for a test you will probably never ever take and are there for the “entertrainment.”

• "Edible Insects"--Blue Collar Prepping. A primer on eating bugs when bugging out. The author discusses the why (gathering insects may be more efficient than hunting) and then moves into a discussion of general warning signs to avoid poisonous insects and a look at specific types of insects or critters (e.g. ants, grasshoppers, etc.) and any special precautions or preparation for each. For instance, slugs and snails need to be gutted; crickets are the most commonly eaten insect; scorpions are generally safe to eat once you've removed the stinger; etc.
• "Ken Onion Worksharp Review"--Everyday Carry. Worksharp makes electric sharpeners that use belts of various grits for grinding, sharpening, and honing knives and tools. The "Ken Onion" model is their "top of the line" model and can use accessories not available or that won't work on the more basic models. I have the basic model and have used it with success, although it can be problematic around the tip of a knife. The author of this piece reviews the Ken Onion model, including the grinder attachment (which won't work with other models), used for shaping blades on shovels, axes, and other tools (I've read that it works great for swords). The author of this piece writes:

       My concern, one that I had after reading up on the sharpener, was that the tips tended to round off when using the guide attachment.  ...  The guide attachment did, in fact, round the tips on a few knives.  ...

        The grinder attachment has no such problem, but it is significantly harder to use.  ...  But results from the grinder attachment, once you have learned the technique, are free of tip problems and quite sharp.  As between the two, I greatly prefer the grinder attachment.  I would go so far as to say that the regular Worksharp, while a fine and effective system for most people, wouldn't satisfy a true knife knut.  Members of the IKC should pony up for the Ken Onion version solely for the ability to use the grinder attachment.  

        It has taken me almost two months to get the technique down, sharpening quite a few knives each weekend.  I have also not yet worked my way up to extremely high end knives ... or difficult grinds ....  But I have expanded beyond the original lot of "test" blades.   

        The results are, simply put, amazing.  While you never get something for nothing, the ease of use, once you get the technique down, makes me feel like the Worksharp is breaking that maxim.  Its fast, easy, truly fun (for reasons I will detail below) and the results are powerfully effective. 

• Be wolves not rabbits: "Respond to Terrorism: Embrace the Hate"--Breach Bang Clear. In this op-ed, the author argues that we need to get over our indifference about terror attacks, and learn to hate those that carry out these attacks.  He observes that "[o]nce someone believes they’re justified in massacring innocent children as a means to reach heaven, they can’t be reasoned with. All we can do is kill them. And if we hate them, we can more easily kill them." To help us along, he includes photographs of the victims that the media does not show or heavily blurs out.
• Terminal ballistics: "The Chess Game of Ammo Type and Shot Placement"-- by Sydney Vail, MD. The author discusses the shortcomings of relying on tests using ballistic gel, and his own experiences with examining or treating people that have been shot. He writes:

       So we come back to the original question: Which ammunition has the best stopping power? I can’t answer that question. What I can say is that you should look for ammunition that reliably lives up to its claims of penetration and expansion but don’t believe that these two factors alone are related to stopping power.

        The ultimate stopping power rests with your training with your weapon system. Accurate hits in any reasonable caliber will “stop” a person if that person has experienced enough brain or spinal cord damage to interrupt regular neurologic impulses from reaching vital areas of the body or the person has hemorrhaged enough blood to lower his or her blood pressure where the brain no longer is able to function well. You can also stop a person if a major bone shatters after a bullet injures it, but does that stop the fight?

        Stopping power is a marketing tool and should be dropped from our discussions of ballistic performance until such time as ammunition effectiveness is measured by more means than just the results of gelatin and barrier tests. When ammunition companies or regulatory agencies begin to use computer simulations, simulant tests, animal models, autopsy results, and trauma surgeon operation reports with hospital summaries to determine the effectiveness of their products, then we will know which ammunition can be labeled as having the “best stopping power.” And this claim will be based on scientific data rather than incomplete ballistic testing.

Read the whole thing.

Other Stuff:

• Doing stupid things, in stupid places, with stupid people: "News hosts shocked into near-silence as Trump protester is shot in GROIN with a tear gas canister as police open up on crowds after Phoenix rally"--Daily Mail.
• "The Trans Juggernaut Wants Your Kids, And Public Schools Are Just The Beginning"--The Federalist. The author explains that the transgender movement is focusing on children because:

       They are vulnerable and impressionable, prepuberty pose better as either sex and therefore look less terrifying than adult transgenders, and once locked into the trans body morph will never truly be able to escape. Devastated people are prime candidates for exploitation by their pretend advocates. Also, locking in trans-policies now is a way to preclude debate before more extensive data and personal experience can fuel the inevitable backlash.

        Of course this is bad for kids, but it’s not about kids. They’re just pawns, as usual. It’s about politics. Pushing transgenderism not only destabilizes a key component of a child’s identity but also contributes to early sexualization that is linked with mental illness and risky behaviors. Early exposure to and lack of clear parental direction about sex is also linked with increased gender confusion, which is precisely what we’re seeing as clinics for cutting and pasting children’s hormones and body parts explode inside a media environment that glamorizes this form of child abuse.

• Related: "School Board Under Fire After ‘Transgender Reveal’ Leaves Students Confused About Who They Are"--The Daily Caller. The article reports that "Angry parents gathered Monday night to protest a California teacher that read transgender books to her kindergarteners and encouraged a clothes-changing demonstration, saying it was inappropriate to vividly portray transgenderism to such young children."

• Coming soon to a sanctuary city near you: "U.S. warns citizens about traveling to Mexico's Cancun and Los Cabos as violence surges"--Los Angeles Times. From the article:

       For years, both regions were largely insulated from the drug war violence that has engulfed other parts of Mexico, but this year they have each seen a major uptick in killings.

       There have been deadly gun battles in downtown Cancun, and in January, five people were killed at a nightclub in nearby Playa del Carmen. In Los Cabos, a municipality on the Pacific Coast that includes the cities of Cabo San Lucas and San Jose del Cabo, three people were shot to death this month at the entrance to a popular beach.

• Cyber alert: The AccuWeather app has been caught sending location data to Reveal Mobile (a firm that provides location data to advertisers) even if the share location is off. You might want to remove the app.
• "Democratic Former Senator Finally Says What Left Is Thinking: All Republicans Are Nazis"--The Federalist. And if the Left believes all Republicans and conservatives are Nazis it provides the necessary justification to do anything necessary to destroy Republicans and other conservatives.
• Counter-intelligence: "Agents for the Okhrana"--Gates of Vienna. The Okhrana was the secret police under the Czar prior to the Bolshevik Revolution in Russia. The article explores long standing rumors and theories that Stalin, known for his many escapes from the Okhrana, was actually a double-agent. (Although not mentioned in the article, the Russian Interior Minister in 1916-17, Aleksandr Protopopov, was pursuing a plan for allowing Russia to reach a separate peace with Germany without alienating France and Britain. His plan was essentially to foment enough unrest in Russia that it would have to bring its troops home to put down a revolution, so it would make sense that the Okhrana might have been working to place agents provocateur within the Bolsheviks and other radical groups).  In any event, the article segues into how government agents infiltrate groups and, often, try and manipulate the groups (e.g., the new guy that is pushing a group of guys complaining about the government into doing something highly illegal and dangerous), and discusses ways to detect such infiltration, including using counter-intelligent techniques. The author explains, for instance:

        Counterintelligence is the systematic, patient process of discovering who the infiltrators are and then neutralizing them. And by “neutralizing”, I don’t mean killing — read the history of the KGB, and you’ll learn that killing a planted agent was the least-desired option. A double agent was far more useful to the KGB than a corpse. And an agent that had been made, but didn’t realize it, could be used to funnel disinformation back to the enemy, among other things.

        These are subtle, dangerous games. But for groups that want to be truly effective, they are absolutely necessary.

Matt Bracken commented on this article, and recommended a book called “The Dirty War” by Martin Dillon, about the “The Troubles” in Northern Ireland, providing real life examples of how this infiltration and counter-intelligence works.